Core Elements, Development, and Implementation Strategies of the Nursing Minimum Data Set: Scoping Review.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Informatics
• Health Services Research
• Data Standards

Background:

• Nursing care systems face challenges from demographic shifts, workforce shortages, and increased demand.
• Digital technologies can help, but standardized nursing data are crucial for evaluating innovations and care processes.
• The Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS) is a framework for structured nursing data, but lacks international consensus on content, development, and use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map international literature on NMDS core content elements.
• To identify methodological approaches in NMDS development.
• To explore NMDS implementation and use across diverse nursing settings.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review following JBI and Arksey/O'Malley frameworks.
• Systematic searches in MEDLINE and CINAHL databases using "nursing minimum data set."
• Inclusion of English/German studies on NMDS content, development, or implementation; independent, double-blinded review.

Main Results:

• 26 studies met inclusion criteria, showing heterogeneity in NMDS structure (16-145 items).
• Four core domains consistently identified: patient demographics, medical care, nursing care elements, and organizational data.
• NMDS development involves participatory, multistage approaches; implementation supports documentation, planning, quality assurance, and outcome demonstration, facing challenges in standardization, legal frameworks, and training.

Conclusions:

• The NMDS is vital for standardized nursing documentation, quality assurance, and health system planning.
• International variability and challenges in harmonization, integration, and acceptance remain.
• Advancing NMDS requires collaboration for interoperability, digital infrastructure investment, and education; future research should address comparative effectiveness and reducing documentation burden.